C. TAKING POSSESSION OF THE PROTECTED PERSON'S PROPERTY

Your letters of guardianship represent your authority to act for the protected person. By representing these to persons or institutions who may be holding the protected person's property, you will be permitted to take that property into your possession.

The phrase "take possession" should not be construed literally. It is not intended that you run out and gather everything the protected person owns so that you can store it in your basement. Rather, you need to contact the persons or institutions holding your protected person's property, either show them or provide them with your copies of your letters, and arrange for the funds or property to be held in the protected person's name with your name listed as guardian. So that no one except you can draw on said funds, do not surrender the original copy of your letters of guardianship—certified copies of your letters may be obtained from the Delaware County Clerk's Filing Office.

D. PAYING THE PROTECTED PERSON'S BILLS AND EXPENSES

Your primary purpose as guardian of an incompetent adult’s estate is to manage their financial affairs. As part of your management responsibility you will be required to pay all valid bills, expenses and claims of the protected person while constantly bearing in mind your duty to preserve the assets of your protected person.

In order to pay these bills, a checking account must be open. This account will be in your name as guardian. The fact that it is a guardianship account must be clearly stated on the face of each check. The bills and expenses which a particular protected person incurs will vary according to the circumstances. If your protected person lives in their own home, there will be utility and other bills associated with home ownership. On the other hand, if the protected person resides in a nursing home, these bills may be eliminated and included in a single monthly payment to the nursing home.

In addition to the ordinary and necessary expenses of your protected person, extraordinary claims may have to be paid on occasion. For example, a hospital might present you with a bill for services which it claims to have provided the protected person prior to your appointment as guardian or an individual might approach you and claim that the protected person owes them money on a contract.

The question which you should ask when presented with any bill, expense or claim on your protected person's property is whether the obligation is valid. Your resolution of this inquiry is critical for, if you negligently honor an invalid claim, the court may hold you personally liable for the amount of the protected person's funds expended.

You may also find it necessary or desirable to provide your protected person with a periodic allowance. Once again, since you have a duty to preserve the assets of the protected person, you must take care that the purpose for which the allowance is desired is a valid one.